Torpedo bats are just the beginning when it comes to the changes we'll see coming to bats in Major League Baseball.

Keenan Long of LongBall Labs joined on Thursday to discuss the new bats and what is next in the search for technology impacting offense in MLB. He first addressed one big fallacy related to bats, then went on to explain a number of issues related to torpedo bats and what the future looks like.

Ron Darling asked if there was a future where hitters change bats depending on the pitcher, and Long quickly affirmed that.

"Yes, absolutely, Jed Lowrie was one of our first clients and was doing that during his playing days," Long said. "He had a lineup of bats he was going to use for the pitchers he was going to face… So that's happening. It's happening right now."

The torpedo shape may not be the last adjustment we see to bat technology. Things are changing rapidly.

The opener only made 4 and Kurtis Patterson was dismissed cheaply as NSW made a bad start

AAP04-Oct-2025Sam Konstas missed out in his first Ashes audition of the new Sheffield Shield summer as New South Wales slumped against Western Australia on a rain-shortened opening day at the WACA ground.The NSW opener, who turned 20 this week, fell for 4 off 25 balls before rain stopped play on Saturday in Perth. Team-mate Kurtis Patterson also was dismissed for 8 from 36 balls after WA won the toss and had no hesitation in sending NSW in on a moist green surface under overcast skies.Related

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No Ashes restrictions: Cameron Green maps out bowling plan

Silk, Weatherald, Hope shine as Tasmania rally from rocky start

Konstas’ low score came on a day when another Ashes hopeful, Tasmanian opener Jake Weatherald, made 67 from 99 balls against Queensland in Brisbane.When rain stopped play in Perth, NSW were in early strife at 35 for 3.Konstas came to Perth with a head of steam after scoring a century for Australia A in India but batting was much harder on the bowler-friendly surface at the WACA. He survived two lbw appeals, while wicketkeeper Joel Curtis dropped a tough catch off his inside edge from the bowling of Matt Kelly.But WA left-arm seamer Joel Paris was ultimately rewarded for an impressive opening spell when he trapped Konstas lbw. Paris bowled eight overs with seven maidens and has figures of 1 for 1.Cameron Gannon had Patterson caught behind and Test all-rounder Cameron Green took an outstanding catch at second slip off spinner Corey Rocchiccioli to dismiss opener Blake Nikitaras for 9 from 57 deliveries.Matthew Gilkes and Oliver Davies were trying to rebuild having come together at 23 for 3 in the 20th over but rain halted play after 25.1 overs and teams never got back on.

While Daniel Farke is taking a lot of heat at the moment surrounding his incapabilities as a Premier League manager, the Leeds United players he keeps selecting also need to take their fair share of the blame for what is currently occurring.

Against Aston Villa last time out, Elland Road regulars such as Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon didn’t cover themselves in glory whatsoever, with the Dutchman – in particular – looking weak physically, when winning just three of his eight attempted duels.

Moreover, Sean Longstaff, who stunned earlier on in the season with a goal and assist against AFC Bournemouth, looked noticeably flat up against the likes of Youri Tielemans for the energetic away side, leading to him giving possession away a costly 13 times.

Farke also has a part to play here, considering he works with the camp week in week out in trying to pick wins up, with the German clearly unable to inspire his team to get out of their rotten slump.

Still, he wouldn’t have foreseen how poor a start Lucas Perri would have made to life in England, as the Brazilian consistently looks uncomfortable in the Premier League.

Perri's poor start at Leeds

Leeds’ arrival back in the top-flight would have been met with equal levels of excitement and trepidation from the die-hard Elland Road fanbase.

Indeed, supporters would have been understandably over the moon that their beloved side had finally jumped back up to the big time.

But, they would have been worried immediately about their goalkeeper situation up a division, with an error-prone Illan Meslier cast to one side during the promotion run-in.

Unfortunately, despite splashing out £13.9m on his services this summer, the aforementioned Perri hasn’t looked like a steady pair of gloves whatsoever since joining, with a disastrous eight goals already given up in November alone.

The ex-Lyon stopper received plenty of pelters after the Villa defeat, too, when he remained frozen to his spot for Morgan Rogers to hammer home this delightful free-kick effort.

Ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome has even gone as far as to label Perri a complete “waste of funds”, and it could be argued he’s been a complete waste of time and energy, as well, considering his steep price tag, and his billing as a top-flight capable ‘keeper that would make Meslier a worry of the past.

Yet, despite all the abuse that has come his way, he isn’t the biggest waste of time in Farke’s camp currently.

Leeds have a bigger waste than Perri

At least in Perri’s case, he doesn’t have much competition breathing down his neck, with Farke surely extremely hesitant to chuck in Meslier to a relegation dog-fight, alongside another reserve figure in Karl Darlow.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Therefore, the hope will be that the South American can play his way out of this mess, having started his choppy Leeds career with a promising clean sheet against Newcastle United.

On the contrary, Sebastiaan Bornauw already looks resigned to a place on the periphery, owing to recurring injury issues troubling him in West Yorkshire, and the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol being other options Farke can call upon in the heart of defence.

For a modest £5.1m fee, Leeds would have been hoping that they’d hit the jackpot with the assured Belgian, who had 140 Bundesliga appearances under his belt, before making the switch to England, with former Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer previously hailing the former German top-flight titan as a consistently “strong” presence for his team.

Across those 140 games, Bornauw would help himself to a stable, if slightly unspectacular, 27 clean sheets, meaning he would have been viewed as a handy utility signing, too, when the deal was arranged, as Leeds prepared to use their full squad to beat the drop.

Instead, he has largely been injury-ridden since swapping Germany for West Yorkshire, with just one forgettable appearance coming his way so far in the EFL Cup versus Sheffield Wednesday.

For as much as Perri has largely been calamitous, at least he has made his presence known. Whereas Bornauw looks to already be burning a significant hole in Leeds’ wage bill, for how little action he has thrown himself into, with Leeds-based content creator Lewis Deighton rightly calling the unfolding situation out as “absolutely laughable”.

Amazingly, his £45k-per-week pay packet means he is earning more than the aforementioned Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu – who earn a lesser £40k-per-week salary each – despite both figures continuing to be ever-presents in the Farke regime.

It’s very clear how much Leeds dropped the ball this summer with unconvincing signings, as the under-pressure German now potentially pays the ultimate price with his job.

Leeds now plotting January move for "outstanding" £17.5m Champions League striker

The Whites are looking to bring in a new centre-forward this winter.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

A Liverpool legend has suggested £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz could leave the club on loan in January. Much was expected of the German international when he joined for a then-Premier League record fee, an amount that has since been surpassed by Alexander Isak. And amid his Reds struggles, an ex-Anfield favourite thinks a short-term switch for the 22-year-old could be in the offing.

• Wirtz failing to fire at Liverpool

  Hopes were high when Wirtz made his big-money move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer but the player that Reds fans have seen on the pitch has not justified that huge fee so far. Indeed, in 16 appearances, he has failed to score a single goal, but he has contributed three assists. The playmaker is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, in a time where Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions – a 71-year low.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Loan move for Wirtz?

  Former Liverpool midfielder and German international Didi Hamann thinks spending the second half of the season at another club could be beneficial for Wirtz. He also questioned if he has the right physicality for the Premier League.

  He told CoinPoker.com: "Could Florian Wirtz still leave Liverpool on loan in January? Yeah. Obviously with all the help and all the protection from the club and the manager, if you bring somebody in for that amount of money, then maybe he should be the one, even though he's still very young, then maybe you expect him to turn things around. I don't think, the way he's playing at the moment, I'm not sure he's capable of doing that. And when I watch him sometimes, you know, thinking, has he lost belief because it is in the Premier League? Sometimes when I watch him when he loses possession, I'm thinking maybe it’s because it’s a lot quicker, a lot more physical, as if he were to say: ‘I'm not sure that's for me'. I hope I'm wrong, but this is how it looks to me. Sometimes if it's going on for too long, you know, it's very hard to turn it around."

• Wirtz sent Liverpool warning

  Wirtz, who has started 12 of his 16 games for Liverpool, has also been warned by Hamann that if he doesn't come good before Christmas, his Reds future may be discussed by the club's board. The German added that the youngster doesn't look happy at Anfield after a "very disappointing" start.

  "Florian Wirtz has had chances to perform. He's had chances over the last six to eight weeks, where the team hasn't really fired since the start of the season," he said. "Even the games against Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Burnley were all games they probably didn't deserve to win, but they did, and he played in all of them. He's had the chance for the last three months to perform. What should make me believe he's going to do it now, because the team seems to be in disarray? It's not easy when you come in and there are cracks or problems within the team, and I don't know what it is or why it is. He doesn't look happy at the moment. He's a player who learned football on the streets, and that's how he played for Leverkusen, and this is why he was so natural, he always did the right thing. Now he doesn't do that anymore, he thinks too much. I think he works too much going backwards, which credits and honours him because he wants to help the team. But obviously, he was brought in to affect games on the other side of the pitch, and he hasn't done it so far. Having said that, it might take a little bit of weight off his shoulders because people clearly saw this past weekend that he is not the problem. Despite that, so far he's been very disappointing. I think he's got until Christmas now to show his worth, which is not easy because, as I said, the team is not functioning at the moment. I think if he doesn't do it from now until Christmas, I'm pretty sure that the club will get together with him and see what the best would be for both parties."

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• Getty Images
  

  What comes next for Liverpool?

  With Liverpool on a run of six Premier League defeats from their last seven games, some of the heat may have been taken off Wirtz as many of his team-mates are struggling at present. Arne Slot's team are down to 12th in the table and if they don't beat West Ham this weekend, the Dutch manager could be in a fight to save his job. Either way, Wirtz needs to start contributing soon or he could be on the bench more often than not.

Chelsea are now ready to trigger the £44m release clause to sign an “unstoppable” striker, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Blues stepping up striker pursuit despite Delap scoring first goal

The Blues upgraded their forward line considerably during the summer, bringing in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and the latter is now finally off the mark in front of goal, having scored the third in the comprehensive 3-0 victory against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Pedro has been more prolific, chipping in with four goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, and the Brazilian has also displayed his versatility by featuring at both centre-forward and in attacking midfield.

With the former Brighton man able to play in a slightly deeper role, there may be room in the squad to bring in another, more natural centre-forward in the January transfer window, and the Blues are now stepping up their pursuit of a Bundesliga star.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now ready to trigger the €50m (£44m) release clause in Serhou Guirassy’s Borussia Dortmund contract, having identified the striker as a priority target.

Manchester United are also in the race for Guirassy, who is open to a move to the Premier League, with Dortmund powerless to prevent a departure if one of the interested English clubs stumps up the requisite £44m.

The Guinean forward is enticed by the projects on offer at both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, and his performances so far this season suggest he would be able to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

"Unstoppable" Guirassy tearing it up in the Bundesliga

Lauded as “unstoppable” by scout Antonio Mango, the 29-year-old has already amassed 13 goal contributions across all competitions this season, particularly catching the eye for Dortmund in the Champions League.

Serhou Guirassy’s key statistics 2025-26

Appearances

Goal contributions

Bundesliga

11

6

Champions League

5

6

DFB-Pokal

2

1

The France-born striker has averaged 0.61 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 86th percentile compared to other forwards, while he is also impressive in the air, placing in the 82nd percentile for aerials won, having averaged 3.48 per 90.

As such, the Dortmund star clearly has the talent to succeed in the Premier League, but there may be some concerns about his age, given that BlueCo are known for wanting to sign younger players, and he is set to turn 30 in March.

Chelsea considering £120m double deal to sign two players from the same club

They’ve now become ‘top targets’.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

That said, with a potential title race on the cards, Guirassy could be a real difference-maker, and £44m would be a reasonable fee, given the level of his performances so far this season.

Big picture: Nothing to separate the two teams

West Indies are wary of the Dhaka pitch, and Bangladesh are trying to get out of their ODI funk as they face each other in the first ODI on Saturday. Ranking points are up for grabs with both teams setting their sights on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. And there’s little to separate them historically – they have won six bilateral ODI series each over the years.Bangladesh have to sort out a batting puzzle. Soumya Sarkar’s inclusion means Tanzid Hasan will likely have to stay on the bench. Saif Hassan is an automatic choice, though he needs to strengthen his position with a big innings. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s form is still a concern, though he is getting a longer rope than some others have got over the years.Related

• 'Assess, decide and deliver' – West Indies embrace the unknown in Dhaka

• Keacy Carty took the stairs, not the elevator, but he's not complaining

• Patience running thin amid Bangladesh's batting gloom

Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan also weren’t among the runs against Afghanistan. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has scored runs but his strike rate has come under fire in the last two ODI series. The national selectors have added Mahidul Islam to the mix, while Shamim Hossain is another middle-order option.Bangladesh’s only plus point is their bowling. The fast bowlers have been rotated smoothly, and have done well in most conditions. Spinners Rishad Hossain and Tanvir Islam have also been in control of proceedings for the most part. They will be licking their lips with the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch in front of them.It will be the same for Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase, the spin twins who have brought West Indies some success in recent times. They have Shai Hope and Chase for batting experience in Bangladeshi conditions, while the likes of Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze and Amir Jangoo will combine to provide the rest of the batting firepower.Jayden Seales will have good memories from the last time he played against Bangladesh, at the end of 2024. Seales was in great form against Pakistan in West Indies’ last ODI series, picking up six wickets in the third ODI.Tanvir Islam is one of the few undroppable players in the Bangladesh team•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLW
West Indies WWLLL

In the spotlight: Tanvir Islam and Keacy CartyTanvir Islam was one of Bangladesh’s rare consistent performers in the Afghanistan series. He took just four wickets but produced good spells in all three matches. His magic delivery to Azmatullah Omarzai in the third game highlighted his improved quality as a left-arm spinner. He is also one of the few automatic choices in the current ODI setup.It’s early days, but Keacy Carty has provided West Indies with stability at No 3. He averages more than 50 with 1100-plus runs at the position. Carty has the shots to keep him finding the boundary regularly, but also has the percentage game. Centuries in Ireland and England are evidence that he can play in different conditions.Alick Athanaze should replace Evin Lewis in the West Indies XI•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: Soumya, Mahidul could enter XI

Soumya and Mahidul might slot into Bangladesh’s line-up after being called up for the series.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mahidul Islam, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nahid Rana, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Hasan Mahmud.Athanaze is the most likely batter to replace Evin Lewis from West Indies’ last ODI against Pakistan in August. They also have Jangoo, Ackeem Auguste and Khary Pierre as allrounders.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Alick Athanaze, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Gudakesh Motie, 8 Justin Greaves, 9 Romario Shepherd, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.

Pitch and conditions

A sneak peek of the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch the day before the first ODI revealed a dark surface, which strongly suggests slow turn and a bit of low bounce. There is light rain forecast on an otherwise warm day.

Stats and trivia

• Only Hope and Chase from the current West Indies squad have played ODIs in Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh have lost their last five ODI series dating back to November last year. In that time, they have only won two of their 14 matches.

Paul Scholes has admitted that he has been forced to use Manchester United touts in order to secure Old Trafford tickets for matchdays, as claims emerge that the Red Devils have frozen out legends such as fellow Premier League title winner Nicky Butt. The pair have revealed their experiences in dealing with the club in recent years, claiming that the club is "different" from the years when they were playing under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Scholes reveals Old Trafford ticket troubles

Scholes was speaking on podcast and touched on the issues he has faced in securing tickets to watch United play in recent years.

While he noted that it has now been 13 years since he hung up his boots and departed the club as a player – following a storied career in which he won 11 Premier League titles – he expressed a desire for a clearer line of communication to exist between the club and former players.

This revelation that he has used ticket touts to gain resold Old Trafford tickets paints an uncomfortable picture, which reflects the state of United as a club in recent times, something Scholes has often spoken out on.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Am I allowed to say that?' – Scholes explains embarrassing situation

"It's a very different football club to the club we knew," Scholes began. "I don't know about you Nicky, you worked there quite recently, but I don't really know anybody there."

Butt agreed: "I don't know anybody there."

Scholes continued: "I have four season tickets so we use them… my son uses them every single week. You get people asking [for tickets]. I've had a Salford lad who wants to go to the game this week – a couple of tickets. So I've had to ring a tout? Am I allowed to say that? Honestly, I know a tout."

Butt explains shocking season ticket threats

"My lad has got the same thing," Butt explained. "If you don't use them three times you get them taken off you.

"I've had an email saying ‘you're having your ticket taken off you’. So I rang them up and said can I speak to somebody about this please? And they go ‘who am I speaking to please?’, and I go Nicky Butt and they go, ‘OK, well who's that?’"

Scholes joked: "Who's that? Is that the one who used to play for Newcastle?"

"I couldn't really say it but I felt like saying: I played about 450 games for this club!" Butt concluded.

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The club is 'different', Scholes concludes

"I'm not complaining about that," Scholes said about not receiving special treatment. "That's just the way it is and the way it happens. Just because you played for the club, you're not entitled to stuff."

Host Paddy McGuinness interjected: "Hang on a minute! The amount of games you played, your life-long service as a player for United, you gave everything to the club."

Scholes replied: "Yeah, but we only played for them. You're going back 13 years now for the last time I played. We don't mind paying for them, we just don't know who to ring because the club is just different, it's a different football club."

MatériaMais Notícias

Após empatarem em 1 a 1 na ida, Botafogo e Aurora, da Bolívia, se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (28), pela segunda fase da Libertadores. A partida está marcada para começar às 21h30 (horário de Brasília), no Engenhão (RJ). A transmissão será pela ESPN (TV fechada), Star + e Globoplay (streaming) e pelo ge.com.

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Botafogo x Aurora – Libertadores
Segunda fase – Volta

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 28 de fevereiro de 2024, às 21h30 (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Engenhão, no Rio de Janeiroí (RJ)
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN, Star +, Globoplay, ge.com e tempo real do Lance!
🟨 Arbitragem: Jesús Valenzuela (árbitro); Jorge Urrego e Tulio Moreno (assistentes); Juan Soto (VAR)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

BOTAFOGO
Gatito Fernández; Damián Suárez, Lucas Halter, Alexander Barboza e Hugo; Marlon Freitas (Danilo Barbosa), Tchê Tchê e Eduardo; Júnior Santos, Savarino e Tiquinho Soares. Técnico: Fábio Matias (interino)

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AURORA
Akologo; Ballivián, Robles, Amarilla e Luis Barboza; Jair Torrico, Sejas, Dario Torrico, Alaníz, Blanco (Serginho); Reinoso.

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BotafogoLibertadores

Manchester United are building for the future under Ruben Amorim, and he now appears to have made key decisions on two of his most high-profile Old Trafford stars.

The Red Devils have made a reasonable start to the Premier League campaign and could well make a push for the European slots if they can maintain momentum, though that is something that will be challenged over the festive period due to the African Cup of Nations.

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are set to depart next month, leaving roles to be filled in the squad during a busy schedule that is set to be fraught with intense action.

Still, Premier League sides have known the competition is part and parcel of their squad planning, making it an issue they should be able to handle without the need for mass panic.

Signings in January will be important and there is an obvious need for midfield reinforcements, especially with Casemiro drawing closer to the end of his contract at Old Trafford.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is the latest name on Manchester United’s list, and discussions are said to be progressing well over a potential move to work under Amorim’s stewardship in January.

Rob Edwards has signalled his desire to keep the Brazilian at Molineux. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped the Red Devils making tracks, even if there could be a twist in the tale regarding the state of play on their engine room, courtesy of Fabrizio Romano.

Fabrizio Romano delivers contract update on Casemiro and Maguire

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano has confirmed that Amorim wants both Casemiro and Harry Maguire to stay at Manchester United, providing they reduce their wages in line with the club’s new salary structure.

He said: “My understanding is that the situation of Casemiro is a really similar situation in terms of strategy to Harry Maguire.

“Casemiro and Harry Maguire are out of contract in the summer of 2026 and for Manchester United, they are two really important players, especially now.

“We have to say congrats to Casemiro. In this video let’s focus on Casemiro, because he’s been able to change his situation at Manchester United.”

Later, he added: “So now the desire is from Man United, obviously, to continue with Casemiro, but in different conditions. So the salary he has right now is a salary that Manchester United don’t want to pay in the future, not because of Casemiro or Maguire, but because they want to change the salary structure.”

Between them, a pay packet of £540,000 per week is a major chunk of the Red Devils’ wage list, and with both edging closer to the twilight of their respective careers, it may be worth looking at younger reinforcements as their contracts look set to expire.

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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 23, 2025

Conversely, experience is vital and cannot be understated. Over the coming months, it would be a smart decision to tie down both stars if they can agree to a wage reduction.

Newcastle United meet Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Always a fun one.

The November international break has curtailed and now it’s domestic action right through until March. By that stage, so much could have happened: the Magpies may have defended their Carabao Cup title and made headway in the Premier League to press for Champions League qualification, for example.

But the upswing in form needs to start now. United have been out of sorts this season, and languish in 14th place. Still strong at St. James’ Park, this stands as a fantastic chance to underpin Eddie Howe’s fifth chapter on Tyneside with a statement victory that tells of durability and a will to win which is as fervent as ever.

And Newcastle will need all their strength against a Man City side who have foiled them many times in recent years, losing just one match to the Northern outfit across 15 matches in all competitions. In fact, Newcastle have only recorded one top-flight victory over City since 2005/06.

SJP will be a cauldron of deafening noise, for sure, and it will need to be, especially with Howe contending with a glut of injuries.

Newcastle team news vs Man City

Rodri and Mateo Kovacic are both out for the visitors, and so Howe will know the importance of a fiery central display to overwhelm and negate much of the away side’s creative threat.

However, the Toon may be forced to put their plan into action without the power and physicality of Joelinton, who may be sidelined after being forced off during the defeat at Brentford before the break.

The Brazilian’s nasty leg injury isn’t thought to have eliminated him from contention here, but Howe will be wary of unleashing his midfield monster if it’s clear he lacks full fitness and ferocity.

Sandro Tonali is fit to play, while Nick Pope has been given the green light following concussion protocols. However, Anthony Gordon is “touch and go”, and wide duo Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento may not be risked from the opening after bouncing back from respective setbacks.

City are going to try and overwhelm the Magpies, but with Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes on form, there’s little question that the hosts have the tools to get the job done. Albeit, Yoane Wissa is still not quite ready to make his debut, months after completing a big-money transfer from Brentford, as he completes the final laps of his recovery process after a knee injury sustained on international duty with DR Congo.

And if Joelinton is kept out of action, or even benched, Howe has the perfect alternative to unleash in the middle of the park.

Howe could unleash Joelinton replacement

Newcastle need an emphatic performance against City, who have taken the spoils so often in this meeting. What Newcastle could do with is some uplifting flair to complement the grit of Howe’s wider system.

Well, while Jacob Ramsey will be gunning for a starting berth, it’s Lewis Miley who should be given the nod, with his deep-lying playmaking qualities allowing the senior midfielders beside him to play with freedom and dynamism.

Miley came under flak across the early weeks of the campaign, some segments of the fanbase questioning his levels, but he has grown in confidence over the past few months, particularly impressing in starts over Benfica and Fulham, both wins for United.

After that mature showing against Benfica, journalist Liam Kennedy hailed his “coming-of-age performance in the number six role”, proving that he’s now “ready for serious minutes”.

The 19-year-old is a silky ball-playing midfielder with convincing signs of defensive play. He is raw, yes, and lacks the polish of a midfielder grown into their skin. And yet he’s also got something special about him, a game-changing quality that has led one Magpies Podcaster to hail him as being Howe’s “own Phil Foden”, given his English talent and growing reputation as his side’s starboy.

Miley emerged before he had even reached adulthood, and he confirmed that he has potential in Howe’s Newcastle system.

If Howe does engineer his first-ever Premier League victory over Manchester City (for Newcastle and Bournemouth), this could be a sensational turning point for a club whose residual issues from the summer transfer window are continuing to plague the team’s fluency and confidence.

Many eyes will be on Nick Woltemade, on Tonali and Bruno in the centre. The big hitters. But this is a game for a breakthrough, and Miley could finally announce himself, properly, as a star in the making on Tyneside.

He’s hardly unknown. The academy graduate has already racked up 58 senior appearances for Newcastle, and he has scored three goals and provided five assists.

He might not have Foden’s gusto and world-renowned reputation, but Miley is an exciting and creative player, strong in the duel and bringing a unique flavour that perhaps no one else in the squad can quite match.

Foden, for sure, will be a threat, and perhaps someone Pep Guardiola will look to use as a focal point. After all, Erling Haaland might have scored on his first appearance against Howe’s Newcastle, but he has blanked across five outings since.

Miley has the opportunity to stand his countryman up and take control on a big evening for Newcastle. They cannot afford to slip to a defeat on home turf ahead of successive away trips to Marseille and then Everton.

This might just be his moment.

Bigger talent than Anderson: Newcastle have 'one of the world's best teens'

Newcastle’s academy has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 21, 2025